Washing machine



Patented Kug. 11, 1942 wasnme mom Herbert Emmi. Hamllen, com, mumto General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application September- 17, 1940, Serial No 35l,102

3 Claims. ((21. 68-23) After use it is necessary that the water sci-- tener be regenerated or reactivated by a salt water solution. It is obviously undesirable that the salt solution from the water softener be conducted to the washing compartment.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved construction for preventing flow of v the salt solution into the washing *machine tub during regeneration "of the water softener.

For a consideration of what I believe novel and my invention, attention is directed to the following description. and the claims appended thereto.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation fdf a washing machine embodying my inventioni and Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the construction for controlling the flow of the water softener.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a washing machine of the extractor type having an outer casing or tank I in the upper part of which is a tub or clothes receptacle 2 having a bladed agitator 3 therein. At the upper edge ofthe receptacle are openings I which deflne the liquid level in the receptacle during washing and serve as centrifugal discharge openings when the receptacle is rotated at its extracting speed to centrifugally dry the clothes. The agitator 3 is oscillated for washing and the receptacle is'rotated for extracting by a vertical shaft 5 extending up through a sleeve 6 connected to the bottom wall of the outer casing I.

The shaft 5 is driven by suitable mechanism located in a gear casing I below the outer casing which may, for example, be that shown in Patent 2,161,618, G. W. Dunham. During wash-' ing, liquid is circulated by a pump 8 from the bottom of the outer casing up through aflexible hose 9 and discharge nozzle I0 onto an annual filter ll carried on the upper rim of the receptacle. The excess liquid overflows through jector comprising a restricted nozzle II discharging axially along the conduit ll through an enlarged chamber ll joined to the conduit ll by,a tapered section It. Branching from the chamber I8 is a by-pass passage discharging to the outer casing. By positioningthe nozzle ill so it discharges to a drain, water flowing through the passage 20 may be pumped from the outer casing to the drain.- ,When the valve II is opened, water is supplied through the water softener "to the conduit It at such a rate that the injector action of the stream discharged through the nozzle ll produces a suction onthe passage 20 which prevents flow therethrough. In other words, all of the softened water flows intothe receptacle since the passage 20 is blocked by the injector action of the stream flowing through the nozzle 11.

The water softener is regenerated by shutting the valve 15 and opening a valve 2| in a conduit 22 for conducting water from the supply to the compartment 23 which is filled with salt. The water flowing into the compartment 23 flows tothe water softener through a conduit 24 and check valve 25. The valve 2| allows only a relatively small flow, so that the rate of flow of the saltsolution through the water softener is much less than the rate of flow of the softened water. The rate of flow of the salt solution is such that the injector action produced by its flow through the nozzle I1 is insumcient to block the passage 20. The salt solution accordingly flows wholly through the passage 2m to the outer casing.

passed around the tub through a passage branching from the conduit leading from the water in said conduit having an injector action on said passage for preventing outward flow through said passage at said predetermined rate of flow while permitting outward flow through said passage at said lower rate of flow.

2. In a washing machine, a casing. a rotatable receptacle in the casing for receiving clothes to be washed and centrifugaliy dried, a water softener, means for conducting water to be softened at.a predetermined rate to the softener, means for regenerating the softener, means for conducting water at a lower rate from said regenerating means to the water softener, a conduit leading from the softener -to the receptacle, a passage from said conduit to the casing, means in said conduit having an injector action on said passage effective to prevent outward flow through said passage during said predetermined rate of flow but not during said lower rate of flow, and means for draining liquid from said casing.

3. In combination, a water softener, a conduit leading therefrom, a passage branching from an intermediate point in said conduit, means for conducting water to the softener at a predetermined rate of flow during softening, means for conducting water to the softener at a rate of flow lower than said predetermined rate of flow during regeneration, and means in saidconduit having an injector action on said passage preventing outward flow through said passage during said predetermined rate of flow but not during said lower rate of flow.

HERBERT F. BARIFFI. 

